Oklo’s Groves nuclear project becomes reality in Caldwell County 

By Anthony Collins

LPR Editor                       

   A quiet stretch of Caldwell County outside Lockhart is getting attention from across the country, and this time it is not for barbecue, rodeo, or small-town charm. It is for nuclear technology. Oklo Inc., an advanced nuclear technology company, is developing its Groves Isotopes Test Reactor at Proto-Town, the growing innovation hub located south of Lockhart along Mineral Springs Road. The project is part of a larger push to bring advanced nuclear research and isotope production back to the United States.

   The Groves project is connected to Atomic Alchemy, an Oklo subsidiary focused on producing radioisotopes. Those isotopes can be used in cancer diagnosis and treatment, medical research, advanced manufacturing, space exploration, and national security work. While the word “reactor” can get people’s attention pretty quickly, Oklo has said Groves is not a commercial nuclear power plant. The company says the Lockhart-area facility is not designed to produce electricity, run large steam systems, or operate like the large nuclear power plants most people think of. Instead, Groves is being described as a small, low-power, pool-type, water-cooled reactor that uses low-enriched uranium fuel.

   According to state project filings, the Groves facility is located at 2600 Mineral Springs Road in Lockhart, inside Proto-Town. The listed project includes a 7,600-square-foot industrial facility with office, classroom, industrial, and mechanical space. The project cost was listed at $23 million. Proto-Town itself has quickly become one of Caldwell County’s most talked-about developments. The site was approved through a development agreement with Caldwell County and is planned as an innovation hub for hardware, manufacturing, robotics, energy, research, and other hands-on technology companies. In simple terms, it is being pitched as a place where builders and founders can test big ideas in the real world.

   Oklo’s project recently reached a major milestone. In March, the U.S. Department of Energy approved the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for Atomic Alchemy’s Groves Isotopes Test Reactor under the DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program. That program is intended to speed up the testing of advanced reactor designs, with a national goal of getting at least three advanced reactor concepts outside of national laboratories to reach criticality by July 4, 2026. Criticality is a technical term, but the basic meaning is that the reactor is able to sustain the nuclear reaction it is designed to run. Oklo has said Groves is targeting July 2026 for that milestone, pending required reviews and approvals.

   Oklo says it completed construction of its pilot isotope production reactor, called Groves One, in 229 days. Oklo CEO Jacob DeWitte said the facility was built from the ground up to reach substantial completion in that timeframe. For Caldwell County, the project brings both opportunity and questions. Oklo says Groves has already supported construction work, Texas-based contractors, and local economic investment. The company has also said the project could help support future workforce development, engineering, technical jobs, and continued investment in Central Texas.

   At the same time, many residents will naturally want clear answers about safety, water use, waste, emergency planning, and what the facility means for the area long-term. Oklo has said Groves will use far less water than a commercial power plant because it is not designed to make electricity or use large cooling towers.      The company also says the site is not being developed as a long-term waste disposal location, and that materials from the project would be handled under approved safety and waste-management procedures. Oklo has also stated that emergency planning will be documented and coordinated with federal, state, county, and local authorities before startup. The company says it plans to work with Caldwell County officials and first responders as the project moves forward.

   For now, Groves represents one of the most unique projects to arrive in the Lockhart area in recent years. It places Caldwell County in the middle of a national conversation about advanced nuclear technology, domestic isotope production, and how quickly the United States can build new research facilities. Whether residents see it as an economic opportunity, a scientific milestone, or something that needs much more public discussion, one thing is clear: Proto-Town is no longer just a local development on the edge of Lockhart. With Oklo’s Groves project moving ahead, Caldwell County has become part of a much bigger story.